In their guest blog for Life Law NI, Gayle Baird, Stakeholder Communications Coordinator for the organisation, gives us some information on the services the Child Brain Injury Trust can provide.

Undoubtedly, when a child suffers a brain injury, it will have a devastating and life-long impact on them and their whole family. Bones can mend and scars can heal but a brain injury stays with you for life and impacts on everything you think, feel and do.

At the Child Brain Injury Trust, we offer support to children, young people, their families and professionals and help them come to terms with what has happened and how to deal with the uncertainty that the future may hold for them.

The charity was set up by a group of health professionals in 1991 and we currently have 3 offices across the UK. Our registered office is located in Oxfordshire with regional offices in Belfast and Edinburgh.

At the Child Brain Injury Trust, we offer a number of services:

We provide Child and Family Support

Our Regional Child and Family Support Co-ordinators provide children, young people and families with the support that they need in order to live their lives to the full, within their local community.

The sort of support that families can expect includes:

Practical and emotional support for children, young people and families in hospital and at home

A national helpline offering support to children, young people and families across the UK

Support for children and young people in education

Social opportunities for children, young people and families

Training and information for parents and carers

Useful leaflets, booklets and other resources

Informative website and Facebook page

Small grants programme

For further information, or to make a referral, contact the Child Brain Injury Trust Helpline on 0303 303 2248

We have a dedicated National Helpline

There are times when you just need someone to help lighten the load. Our Child Brain Injury Trust National Helpline Information Project (HIP) provides support for children and young people affected by childhood acquired brain injury as well as their families and any professionals working with these families.

Our Youth Zone

Acquiring a brain injury can be a scary and difficult time, particularly for teenagers. Our Youth Zone offers advice and support for teenagers to help them find answers to their questions as well as providing lots of helpful contacts, facts about the brain, fun games and quizzes.

Our Learning Events and Online Catalogue

We offer a range of opportunities to learn and understand more about childhood acquired brain injury. Many of our learning opportunities are free of charge to parents and education professionals working in the public sector.

We place children, young people and families at the heart of our work. Our priority is getting the right support to children and young people and families at the right time for them. We work closely with statutory and non-statutory services, and receive a lot of self-referrals from parents and young people who are affected by childhood acquired brain injury.